Happy Summer!
Finally. That was a long and brutal winter. We like going to Walt Disney World midwinter to take a break from the cold and snow, but this year even with going to WDW winter continued for months after we got back! This trip while we were at Animal Kingdom (an all day park, in my opinion), I finally got to try a place that I've had on my list for years-Nomad Lounge.
Nomad Lounge can be a little tricky to get into. They don't take reservations. They're not on the dining plan. It's first-come-first-serve and then you get put on a waiting list. The thing is, the waiting list also has a limit. During our last trip in 2019 we tried to get on the waiting list around 12:30pm. I had tried using MyDisney App, but it said there was no waitlist available. I decided to try going to the host stand, but they told us the waiting list was at capacity and we'd have to try again later. We ended up doing other things in the park and didn't end up circling back to try again. This time, I had a plan to continuously check the MyDisney app for the Nomad Lounge waitlist availability the entire time we were in the park. It kept telling me it was full until around 2pm when it finally told me they had an available time for 2:45pm. I hurried up and snagged it.
The atmosphere is exactly that-a lounge. They have small plates and specialty drinks. Most of the seating is lounge chairs or couches with a coffee table. You can sit inside or outside. The outside has the same type of seating and overlooks the river. You do feel like you're in a lounge that you stumbled upon while venturing through the jungle. While they don't seat you with other parties, it's feels very communal. Normally I'm not a fan of that, but it felt adventurous yet welcoming and calm.
For drinks, we got the Lamu Libation (alcoholic): STARR African Rum, Cruzan Banana Rum, and Guava Purée with Orange, Lime, and Pineapple Juices topped with Goslings 151 Proof Black Seal Rum. Even though it's strong on the rum, it doesn't taste like it. The banana flavor is very subtle. It tastes like being at a beach bar in the Caribbean.
The Hibiscus Henna (non-alcoholic): Watermelon, Hibiscus, and Lime Juice topped with Soda Water. It was very refreshing. The watermelon comes through, and the hibiscus adds another level of flavor and sweetness. There's also a slight fizz to it, but not too much. I would've happily opened a tab and drank these all afternoon.
The Balinese Breeze (non-alcoholic): Mountain Berry Tea, Simple Syrup, Lemon Juice. This was heavier than the hibiscus drink. The deep berry flavor almost tasted like pomegranate. It was our least favorite of the trio of drinks, but it was still good.
For food, our server brought everything in waves. We'd finish one plate, and he'd bring the next one. It worked perfectly and was nicely paced! We started with the Tiffins Bread Service: Thai Red Curry Milk Bread, Pão de Queijo, Papadam, Coconut-Curry Sauce, Guava Sauce, and Ginger-Pear Chutney ($20). The Thai Curry Bread was super soft. The Papadam was crispy and I could taste the lentils and spices. Everyone loved the Pão de Queijo. It had a subtle cheese flavor and was spongey, but in a good way. I LOVED the Pear Chutney. The pear added a touch of sweetness, and it was very ginger forward. The Guava sauce was sweet and delicious. It was similar to a strawberry jam. I couldn't have the Coconut-Curry sauce due to a tree nut allergy, and our server kindly offered to give us a second Guava sauce.
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| The dips |
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| The breads |
The Grilled Chicken Satay: Grilled Skewered Chicken Thighs, Curry Marinade, Pickled Green Papaya, Peanut Sauce ($14). They were flavorful, moist, and tender. There was a good amount of spicy peanut sauce that wasn't all over to the point where it was messy. We enjoyed the element of the crunchy peanuts. I appreciated the acidity from the pickled papaya-it cut the richness.
The Cuban Frita Sliders: Beef and Pork Patties, Spiced Ketchup, Crispy Shoestring Potatoes, Mojo Yuca Fries ($16). They were small and there was only 2 per order. The bun was delicious. The meat had an almost smokey flavor. We wished there were more crunchy shoestring potatoes on it. It also felt like it was missing something. Maybe I was just missing the pickles. It came with Yuca fries which were crisp on the outside and had a slight heat/spice to it. They're slightly chewier than regular potato fries, but no one minded.
The Korean-Barbecue Mushroom Bao Buns: Grilled Oyster Mushrooms, Cucumber Kimchi, and Pickled Green Papaya ($15). They were super soft. The kimchi wasn't overpowering. My mom was fooled as she thought there was meat in it, not just mushrooms. The sauce was slightly sweet. The bun I had did have some tough pieces of mushroom that kind of ruined it for me, but everyone else said they really liked it.
The Churros ($11) are made fresh and are gluten free. They crispy and fresh, not oily at all. My grandparents were confused why every table was ordering them until they tried them. We all liked the sauces. The vanilla bean sauce tastes like melted vanilla ice cream. The strawberry chili sauce was my favorite. It tastes like strawberry jam with the littlest hint of heat that hits the back of your throat.
My grandparents are very table-service non-adventurous eaters, so they were very skeptical. I figured it would be a one-and-done experience for them. Imagine my shock when they said it was one of their favorite meals of the trip! They said they truly felt like they were transported somewhere in Africa for the afternoon. They loved the food and drinks and said, "It was different and something we wouldn't normally try, but really enjoyable!" We liked that it's small plates so we could try multiple things, but keep in mind that we had 4 people and some of the portions were a bit too small. The servers were wonderful. It was calm, relaxing, and we weren't rushed. I would absolutely try to hit this up every trip to try different drinks and foods. It was well worth the wait!
Have you tried Nomad Lounge? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
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